Internal combustion engine



F. C. L. DAIX May 3, 1932.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sepi. 30, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet I m HEWmmmmmmww -iifi 4 May 3, 1932. F. c L. DAIX r 1,856,242

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 30. 1927 2 Sheets$heet 2 ltd till

till

Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES FRITZ G. L. DAIX, OI CHICAGO,ILLINOIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed September 30,1927. Serial No. 223,120.

The invention relates to internal-combustion engines, and in certain ofits as ects has especial utility when embodied in ourstroke cycleengines.

The principal object of the invention is to produce aninternal-combustion engine of light weight and durable strength whereinthe thrusts of the pistons are neutralized, useless power-absorbingvibrations, strains and stresses are avoided and the cylinder and valvesare uniformly cooled.

Said invention is an improvement upon the construction disclosed in myPatent No. l,308,l:00, dated July 1, 1919, although certain featuresthereof are applicable to engines of the same general type as that whichsaid patent reveals.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and forming a part hereof,illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and, togather with thedescription, serve to illustrate the principle thereof.

Figure 1 is a front view of the engine; Figure 2 is ahorizontal-sectional view; Figure 3 is a view taken on the lines A-A ofFigure 2, and looking toward the inner side of the engine; Figure 4 is across-sectional view taken on the line l3-B of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view oflike char actor on the line (l -4:1of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the invention,including one or more than one power. unit, as shown in Figure 3, 1 is acylinder which is open at both ends, and said ends find hearings incasings 2 and 3 respectively. In each casing is mounted a main drivencrank shaft 1 which is suitably journaled in bearings 5 and 37, andformed on each shaft is a crank 6 which is connected with piston 7 by aconnecting rod 8 and a wrist pin 9, the two pistons being" disposedwithin the cylinderl and adapted to reciprocate to and from each other.The cylinder 1 finds its bearing in the casings 2 and 3 respectively,and is rovided with shoulders 10 against which said casings rest. Thecasings 2 and 3 are firmly pressed against the shoulders 10 by the tierods 36, which at the same time hold the separable parts 5 of thehearings in position.

The crank shafts 4 of any one of the units are each provided at one endwith a crank 11, and these two cranks 11 are united by a connecting rod12, Figures 1 and 3, whereby both shafts 4 are compelled to make thesame revolutions and to travel synchronously, forcing the cranks 6 torevolve in such di rections that the pistons 7 will reciprocate inopposite directions within the cylinder 1.

Suitable means are provided for successively causing admission,compression and explosion of the power-producing gas, and expulsion ofthe products of combustion. In the embodied form of such means, thereare employed cylindrical ring valves 13 and 18 I fitting closely aroundand adapted to slide on the cylinder 1. Around said cylinder 1 is asuitable casing or manifold 14 which is to be connected with a desiredcarburetor, or other fuel supplying device, leading to its opening 15.The valve rinps 13 and 18, when in closing position, rest 0 osely withtheir ends in grooves 13-a and 18-a of said casings or manifold. Fromthe opening 15, an intakeport 16 communicates with the interior of thecylinder 1, said port 16 being, preferably, of arcuate form and also,preferably, of somewhat less size than a semi-circumference of thecylinder 1. Suitable exhaust ports 17 are also formed in the cylinder 1,and these exhaust ports are, preferably, of arcuate form, and of suchlength as to approximate a semicircumference of the cylinder 1. Theintake port 16 and the exhaust ports 17 are so spaced in the cylinder 1,as to lie proximate the inher ends of the pistons 7 when said pistonsare in their innermost positions.

The invention includes means whereby the fuel-controlling valve ring 13and the exhaust-controlling valve ring 18 are so timed in theirmovements as tosequentially admit the esplosive mixture to the spacebetween the pistons, when said pistons move away from each other, and toexpel the waste gases when "the said pistons approach each other.

In the embodied form, the fuel-controlling valve ring 13 and theexhaust-controlling valve ring 18 are each connected with rods 28engaging flanges 20 of rotating ring 19 which loosely fits the cylinder1, and are each actuated by means consisting of the rotary ring 19,another ring 21 encircling and rotatable on said ring 19 and providedwith worm teeth 22 on its circumference and with a flange 23 at itsinner end, a cam face 24 on the inner end of said rotary ring 19, a lug25 carriedby said other ring 21,- a worm 26 mounted on a shaft 27 andengaging said worm teeth 22, said rods 28 which have bearings 29 in thecasing 2 or 3 and a spring 30 encircling the cylinder 1 and extendingfrom the casing 2 or 3 to the adjacent valve ring 13 or 18. It will beobserved that all of the aforesaid ele ments will cooperate to producetimed reciprocations of the valve rings 13 and 18, the lug 25 and thecam 24: operating to move one of said valve rings in one direction, andthe spring 30, having been compressed by the movement of said valvering, acting to reverse the movement. The described actuating devices,it will be noted, are duplicated at each end of the engine.

The shaft 27 is provided at one end with a sprocket wheel 31, whichconnects with another sprocket wheel 32 by means of-a silent chain 33running over said sprocket wheels, the sprocket wheel 32 being mountedon the shaft 4 from which it receives its motion. Thus, the rotation oftheshaft 4 will cause the worm 26 and its associated elements to beactuated, thereby producing the required are ciprocations of the valverings 13 and 18.

Ignition of the explosive mixture is produced by a spark plug 35 screwedinto the casing or manifold 14, to which said mixture has access throughthe opening 34.

The end of the shaft 4, shown as broken away at 35-a may be connectedwith any known driven element.

The thrusts of the explosion which are in opposite directions againstthe pistons 7, are equalized by the rods 36 which are preferably four innumber for a single cylinder and extend through parts 37, which areconnected to casings 2 and 3, and also through the bearings 5 of shafts4, their ends being provided with nuts 39.

The operation of the engine is as follows:

Assuming that the engine is running, and is about to start on thegas-intake strokegsthe fuel-controlling valve ring 13 will move awayfrom its present position until the port 16 in the cylinder 1 is incommunication with the intake opening 15 of the carburetor.

Both pistons 7, under the momentum of the engine, then move away fromeach other and outward towards the ends of the cylinder 1, thus creatingthe suction for drawing in the charge of fuel. By the time the pistonshave reached half the distance of their full travel outward, the wormring 21, at one side end of the cylinder 1, will have turnedsufficiently to shift the fuel-controlling valve ring 13 to its fullopening, and when said pistons make their second half of travel in thatdirection, the worm ring 21 will slowly release said valve 13, so thatthe adjacent spring 30 may move it slowly back to thereby close saidport 16 and interrupt the flow of gas from the carburetor to thecylinder 1, when the pistons have arrived in their final suctionosition.

The pistons on their return strokes, compress the charge between them,and this charge is then ignited and exploded to give the power impulseto the engine, a suitable device being em loyed to time the explosion.Under the impu se of the explosion, the pistons are driven apart, andabsorb practically the entire energy of the fuel. As the pistons 7 endthe explosion stroke, the exhaust valve 18, actuated by theinstrumentalities at the other end of the cylinder in the mannerdescribed in connection with the operation of the fuel-supply valve 13,is moved to open the exhaust ports 17, whereupon, the pistons approacheach other and expel the burnt gases from the cylinder 1. Also, as thepistons complete the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve 18 moves back andcloses said exhaust ports, the burnt gases having meantime beeneliminated, leaving the engine ready for a new charge of fuel.

As will be seen, the valves 13 and 18 are ositively opened by a cam 25and closed )y a spring 30.

The engine is adapted for cooling by air, and the springs are,preferably, arranged outside of and in contact with the cylinder so asto absorb heat from said cylinder and to break the currents of airpassing in proximity thereto, thereby cooling the cylinder.-

The valves 13 and 18 are likewise exposed to the cooling influences ofair currents.

The casing or manifold'lee has.0penings through which the rods 36 extendand are fixed on said rods by suitable means.

f Having thus described my invention, what lclaimis: q

1. An internal combustion engine, including a cylinder open at bothends, pistons in said cylinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with said cylinder, a crank shaft in each of said casingshaving two cranks and driven by one of said pistons, and a connectingdevice for compelling synchronous movements of the cranks and thepistons.

2. An internal combustion engine, including a cylinder open at bothends, pistons in said cyiinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with and surrounding an end of said cylinder, crank shaftshaving each a bearing in one of said casings and driven by one of saidpistons, equalizing rods connecting said bearings, valves and a shaftcarrying worm gears for actuating said valves.

3. An internal combustion engine, including a cylinder open at bothends, pistons in said cylinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with said cylinder, twopart bearingsdisposed one in eachof said casings, a crank shaft mounted in each of the hearings anddriven by one of said pistons, equalizing rods each engaging and unitingsaid bearings and the parts thereof, valves and a shaft carrying Wormgears for actuating said valves.

4. An internal combustion engine, including a cylinder open at bothends, pistons in said cylinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with said cylinder, fuelcontrolling andexhaust-controlling valves encircling said cylinders, timed devices foractuating said valves, and driven elements actuated by said pistons,

5. An internal combustion engine, including a cylinder open at bothends, pistons in said cylinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with said cylinder, timed devices disposed in said casingsfor actuating the fuel-controlling and the exhaust-controlling means ofthe engine, and driven elements actuated by said pistons, saidfuehcontrolling and exhaust-controlling means being arranged outside ofsaid cylinder.

6. An internal combustion engine, including a stationary cylinder openat both ends, pistons in said cylinder, casings having each an open endcommunicating with said cylinder, valves encircling said cylinder, timeddevices for moving each of said valves in one direction, and springsalso encircling said cylinder for moving each of said valves in theother direction.

Z. An internal combustion engine, including an air-exposed cylinder,pistons in said cylinder, driven elements connected with said pistons, amanifold encircling said cylinder, supply and exhaust valves alsoencircling said cylinder, and timed means for actuating said valves.

8. An internal combustion engine, including power-actuated means, drivenelements, ainexposed valves,'and air-exposed springs for moving saidvalves in one direction.

9. An internal combustion engine, including power actuated means, drivenelements, and a controlling valve actuated in one direction by saidmeans and actuated in the other direction by a spring surrounding theengine cylinder.

10. An internal combustion engine, includ ing a cylinder open at bothends and having a single inlet port and a plurality of circumierentialexhaust ports, pistons in said cylinders adapted to move toward and fromsaid ports, driven elements connected with said pistons, air-cooledvalves for said ports actuated by said driven elements, and a spark plugfor igniting the explosive mixture.

11. An internal combustion engine, including air-cooled controllingvalves, springs for said valves, and a worm mechanism for fdrcing saidvalves against said springs.

12. An internal combustion engine, includin a cylinder open at its end,a piston in said c inder, a valve encircling said cylinder, a fllingedring encircling the end of said cylinder, a rotary flanged rinsurrounding said enclrcling rin and provi ed with Worm teeth on itscircum erence, a driven worm meshin with said worm teeth, meansconnecting sai ring with said valve, a lug carried by said rotary ring,and a cam carried by said en circling ring and enga ing said cam.

In testimony whereo I afiix my si nature.

FRITZ o. L. D lux.

